KOVAČEVIĆ: THOSE WHO OPPOSE A REFERENDUM ALSO OPPOSE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

BANJALUKA, August 18 /SRNA/ - Radovan Kovačević, Serb delegate in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, said that representatives of Republika Srpska have decided to resolve political issues they are facing through referendums, stressing that those who are against referendums are also against the will of the people, and whoever is against the will of the people is against the people themselves.

"There is no need to delude ourselves. That is why I think it is very important to look once again at how we ended up in this situation, in this political crisis we are facing today," said Kovačević, who is also the SNSD spokesperson.

He explained that the President of Republika Srpska, democratically elected by the people of Srpska, was politically persecuted through politically motivated judiciary proceedings, simply because he, in line with the Constitution of Republika Srpska, signed decrees proclaiming laws that were adopted in the National Assembly of Srpska, including with votes from opposition parties.

"Now they claim that none of this matters," Kovačević noted.

He added that SNSD believed the answer to the political crisis should be unity, which is why they called for the formation of a government of national unity.

"The opposition rejected this, saying division is necessary. Well, if division is what they want, then it is clear we will be divided into those who stand for the will of the people and for listening to the people, and those who stand for Schmidt, for listening to Schmidt and unelected foreigners who want to tell us one thing - that we as a people have no right to make decisions on our own, but must remain obedient so that others can make decisions in our name," said Kovačević.

He stressed that the choice is clear and that the people of Republika Srpska have no dilemma.

"I see that they are trying in every possible way to belittle and discredit the issue of the people's decision-making in a referendum. They claim a referendum cannot be held because the BiH Constitutional Court allegedly annulled the Law on Referendum and Citizens' Initiative - this is false," Kovačević told RTRS.

He further said that it is also untrue that a referendum cannot be held because members of the Republika Srpska Election Commission /RIK/ resigned.

"They also claim that certain members of RIK cannot remain in the Commission because they were appointed to other positions - again, false. Firstly, the Law on Referendum and Citizens' Initiative was not annulled; only two provisions of that law were struck down, which is not essential," Kovačević explained.

He added that although members of RIK did submit resignations, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska never accepted them.

"In the meantime, RIK held a session where it was clearly stated that they continue to carry out their work and are ready to implement the referendum," Kovačević emphasized.

He pointed out that during the entire period in which resignations were submitted but not accepted, members of RIK continued to receive compensation for their work, which means the resignations never came into force.

"They say some RIK members, including the president, were appointed to other posts. But RIK members are not employed in full-time positions, it is a secondary activity for which they receive compensation, not a salary," Kovačević clarified.

He concluded that this is yet another example of the ignorance of the opposition and their only real agenda - to deny Republika Srpska the right to make its own decisions and to reaffirm the political will of their chief political mentor, Christian Schmidt.

"If you insist on divisions, then let us be divided into those who believe we must listen to the people, the Serb people and citizens of Republika Srpska, and into you, who claim that we must listen to Christian Schmidt. Go ahead, follow your path. We will follow the path of Republika Srpska," Kovačević said.